Sleepless in Chicago
by Roswalyn
Summary: Sweet, fluffy Valentine's Day story. No mystery, no action, just fluff. Oneshot fic NancyFrank. COMPLETE


A/N: I know, I know, I'm supposed to be writing FoM. But I've got a case of writer's block on that story, and meanwhile, the idea for this story came to me after a discussion on the forums about Valentine's Day. I know I'm a bit late for a V-Day story, but better late than never, right? And I'd like to dedicate this story to msnancydrew, who happens to share my sentiments about the holiday itself. Hopefully this fic puts a more positive note on the holiday, msnancydrew!

In case you're wondering, I hope to be able to return to FoM soon. If nothing else, this story got me writing again, so hopefully the creative juices will keep flowing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Frank, Nancy, or Joe. They would have made great Valentine's Day presents, though. No copyright infringement intended.

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"Frank, I'm fine!" Her ensuing sneeze immediately contradicted Nancy's emphatic statement, but she still glared at him nonetheless. "Now will you please go to work?"

Frank sat down on the edge of the bed next to her, taking in her puffy eyes, swollen nose, and cheeks flushed by the high temperature that she was running. He reached for the face cloth that was soaking in a bowl of cold water on the nightstand, and wringing the excess water out, gently wiped her face with it.

"In sickness and in health, Nan, remember? Right now, we're focusing on the first half of that particular vow."

Nancy gave her husband an exasperated look, but her blue eyes had softened at the loving tone of his words.

"Frank, it's just the flu, not some life-threatening illness. There's no point in both of us missing work today. I promise you, I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

Frank smiled at her words, thinking to himself that he had lost track of how many times his adventurous wife had uttered those words to him. He dropped a quick kiss on her heated forehead.

"I know you can, Nan. But I'd much rather take care of you myself."

Nancy started to argue, but then blew out her breath as she realized that she simply didn't feel like fighting with him anymore.

"How do you manage to do that?"

Frank lifted her left hand and kissed it, just above the ring that he had placed on her finger only months before.

"Do what, love?"

She stroked his jaw with her free hand and looked into his deep brown eyes that had focused on her so intently.

"Ruin a perfectly good argument by being so charming."

He gave her an impish grin. "What can I say? It's a special talent of mine."

She gave him a mock glare. "You've been hanging around that brother of yours way too much," she muttered.

Frank laughed and rose from the bed. "It's the Hardy charm -- it runs in the family."

Before Nancy could come up with a witty retort, he continued, "I'm going to go bring your breakfast up. I'll be right back."

He turned and left the room, and Nancy decided to use the brief reprieve to get up and use the restroom. She swung her legs over the side of the bed well enough, but when she rose to stand, she had to lean on the nightstand for support. Her legs were trembling, and as she walked towards the adjoining bathroom, she felt as if she were walking sluggishly through water.

_This is ridiculous,_ she thought to herself. She leaned against the doorframe for support, resting her burning forehead against the cool wood. She was tempted to just stay there, already dreading the subsequent walk back to the bed. But then she thought of Frank. _If he sees me like this, he really won't leave my side all day. He's worried enough as it is_. And as much as she loved her husband, she knew that he would drive her crazy if he spent the entire day hovering over her. That thought spurred her onward, and minutes later, she was back in bed. _Just in the nick of time_, she thought, as Frank walked through the door, a loaded breakfast tray in his hands.

"Breakfast in bed, milady," Frank said gallantly, setting the tray over her lap with a flourish.

His cheerful tone grated against her already frayed nerves. "You're really getting a kick out of this, aren't you," Nancy muttered sullenly.

"Hey," Frank said, his tone now serious. He framed her face in his hands and lifted her eyes to his. "I'm not enjoying this, Nan. I hate to see you suffering, even if it is just from the flu. And I'm going to take care of you, whether you like it or not."

Guilt brought an even deeper flush to her cheeks. She laid her hands gently over his, sighing. "I'm sorry, Frank. I guess I'm just cranky. I'm not used to being sick, and I'm even less used to being taken care of."

He dropped a light kiss on her lips. "Well, get used to it, Mrs. Hardy," he stated firmly.

"Aye-aye, Mr. Hardy." She gave him a cheeky mock-salute. Frank just laughed at her antics. Walking over to the flat-screen TV in their room, he started flipping through the DVDs lying beside it.

"What movie would you like to watch? We've got 'Wedding Crashers', 'Bourne Identity', 'Sleepless in Seattle', and 'Italian Job' up here."

"Doesn't matter to me. Which one are you in the mood for?"

"I'm actually going to do some work downstairs in the study. So you can pick whatever you want."

The flicker in Nancy's eyes was nearly imperceptible, but Frank caught it anyways. "You thought I was going to stay in here and hover over you all day, didn't you?" he asked reproachfully.

Nancy didn't reply, but her eyes dropped away from his guiltily. To her surprise, Frank laughed.

"Don't worry, Nan. I'll limit my hovering to every few hours or so. Besides, I really do have some work to get done."

Disappointment swept over Nancy, surprising her. Despite her earlier misgivings about having Frank drive her crazy all day with his worrying, she now realized that she wouldn't have minded his company. She covered her disappointment quickly, though, not wanting to keep him from his work.

"If it's up to me, then I'd like to watch 'Sleepless in Seattle', please."

Frank gave a mock sigh of relief as he put the requested disc into the player. "Phew, saved from the chick flick by work," he joked.

Nancy laughed, knowing how much he hated that movie. She had tried to make him watch it one night, but he had fallen asleep about halfway through.

"You just don't know how to appreciate romance, Hardy."

His eyebrows rose, and he walked over to her, a glint in his brown eyes and his steps deliberate. Before Nancy could say anything else, he leaned down and captured her lips with his. His mouth was firm on hers, and millions of sensations raced through Nancy as she felt herself go light-headed. _Always like the first time,_ she thought to herself. Then Frank deepened the kiss, and she couldn't think at all.

Many minutes later, or so it seemed, she finally managed to pull away from him. "Frank, you'll catch my cold," she gasped.

"I'll risk it," he replied huskily, and covered her mouth with his again. Nancy felt herself going under for the second time, but she didn't try to fight it. She threaded her fingers through his thick, wavy brown hair, pulling him even closer. It was only when Frank's elbow bumped into the tray that still rested on her lap that he forced himself to release her.

"You're not going to get any rest if we keep this up," he said ruefully. "And you need to eat your breakfast and take your medicine."

He straightened and started to turn away, but she caught his hand in hers, stopping him.

"Stay and watch the movie with me," she pleaded. "I promise I won't complain that you're hovering."

He shook his head at her, and the look in his eyes was intense. "We both know that if I stay we won't be watching the movie. And that won't help you get better, or help me get my work done."

"You're no fun," Nancy pouted.

Frank couldn't resist dropping another quick kiss on her pouting lips. "You're not going to sway me with those puppy dog eyes, Drew. Remember, I grew up with Joe -- I'm immune to them." He laughed as her bottom lip poked out even further. "Although, you're a lot cuter than him when you pout."

He ducked as she threw his own pillow at his head, missing him entirely. She glared at him as he laughed at her poor aim, and she eyed her breakfast tray suggestively. Frank threw up his hands in mock surrender before she could get any ideas about throwing that at him next.

"Look, your movie's starting," he said, trying to distract her. "I'm going to head downstairs now, but just yell if you need anything. I'll be back up to check on you in a little bit."

He backed out of the room, hands still raised, not willing to turn his back on her just in case she was tempted to throw something else at him. The last thing he saw was the glare on her beautiful face as he finally turned around in the hallway and made his way down the stairs. He grinned to himself._ What a woman._

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Nancy plopped back against the pillows as Frank disappeared from sight. She had a croissant gripped tightly in her right hand. She had considered throwing it at him, but had then decided that he wasn't worth the delicious pastry. So she took a bite out of it instead and sighed miserably.

_What a horrible way to spend Valentine's Day_, she thought. Granted, she and Frank had decided not to do anything special today. Neither one of them really put much stock in the holiday itself, and they had agreed that it wasn't worth spending ridiculous amounts of money on gifts and other extravagances. But Nancy had planned on surprising Frank with a nice home-cooked meal when they both got home from work, complete with wine, candlelight, and a little surprise for him that she had picked up from Victoria's Secret earlier in the week. She sighed to herself again. _There's nothing romantic about a fever and a runny nose, sexy lingerie or not._

She nibbled on her croissant and turned her attention back to the television, resigning herself to watching Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks find romance on Valentine's Day, since it seemed that she wouldn't be finding any of her own.

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Frank came up to check on her every hour, taking her temperature, bringing her lunch, making her take her medicine. The movie had ended, with happily ever after being found at the top of the Empire State Building. Nancy had switched over to cable, but at three o'clock in the afternoon, she couldn't find anything to watch.

"Nearly three hundred channels and not a single decent thing on," she muttered to herself. Frustrated, she resisted the urge to throw the remote at the television screen. She was going absolutely stir-crazy. She wasn't used to being inactive for such a long period of time, but her body just didn't seem to want to cooperate. Even getting up to go to the restroom was a chore -- she didn't want to bother Frank, but the one time that he had come upstairs when she was trying to cross the room, she had been grateful to have him to lean on. She sighed pitifully; she absolutely _hated_ being sick.

"That was a very sad sound," Frank commented, hearing her sigh as he entered the room. Nancy looked at him miserably. "I need to get out of here, Frank. Can't we go somewhere, go do something?" She didn't care if she was whining -- she just needed to get _out._

Frank smiled at her. "I figured you'd be nearly out of your mind by now after being stuck in this room all day. So I'm here to break you out of your own personal prison."

She looked up at him hopefully. "Does that mean we're going out somewhere? Can we go to the mall and just walk around? Or Starbucks? Or the zoo?"

He ruffled her already tousled strawberry blond hair. "The zoo? You must be really desperate to get out of here. But no such luck, Drew. You need to stay in and rest."

As the hopeful look faded from her eyes and she began to come dangerously close to pouting again, he laughed. "Don't worry, I've got a surprise for you downstairs in the living room. So you can finally get a break from just lying in bed all day."

Bending down, he lifted Nancy gently into his arms. She wanted to protest that she could walk, but she knew that she was still too weak. Instead, she curled up against the solid strength of his chest, resting her forehead in the curve of his neck. _Maybe there's something to being taken care of after all_, she thought. This time her sigh was one of contentment, as she rubbed her cheek against the soft material of Frank's sweater.

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Frank carried her easily down the stairs, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. A part of him still couldn't believe that they were married, that she was finally his. That he could hold her whenever he wanted, for however long he wanted. She was his best friend, and she was the love of his life. And he had been lucky enough to find both in one amazing woman.

Nancy's gasp of surprise broke him out of his thoughts, and he smiled at her reaction. There, on the coffee table, was a large vase holding two dozen deep red roses. Delicate stems of baby's breath were interspersed between the flowers, completing the stunning display. But Frank knew that it wasn't the roses that had caused his wife's reaction, but the two crisp manila file folders that lay in front of them, bearing the distinctive logo of the detective agency that he, Nancy, and Joe had opened a year ago in downtown Chicago.

"Are those what I think they are?" Nancy breathed.

Frank laughed and sat her down gently on the couch. "Yep. Brand new cases that just came in this morning. Apparently we got hit by a bit of a holiday rush. Who would've figured that Valentine's Day would cause a spike in mysteries needing to be solved?" Frank shook his head at the ludicrousness of it. "Joe dropped them off about an hour ago. He figured that you'd probably be bored out of your mind by now and could use a distraction."

"Have I told you how much I adore that little brother of yours lately?"

Frank laughed. "You mean, in between all of the arguments of yours that I constantly have to break up? Nope, I think you forgot to mention it somewhere in there."

"Well, he is annoying," Nancy said affectionately. "But he has a knack for coming through for you when you least expect it."

"That he does," Frank agreed. "Here, go ahead and get comfortable. I'll go get you something to drink."

Nancy watched Frank as he walked to the kitchen and disappeared from sight. How amazing was it that she was married to someone who knew her so well, who could share her love of mysteries with her? After all, what man would think to give his wife a gift of case files, the way other men gave their wives jewellery? Only Frank. And he was all hers.

Nancy leaned forward and buried her nose amidst the fragrant roses that had accompanied the case files. One thing that she could say about her husband -- he definitely knew the way to her heart. She smiled happily and swung her feet up onto the cushions, leaning back against the arm of the sofa for support. Just being out of bed made her feel so much better, so much more energetic. Frank came back in moments later holding a tall glass of lemonade, which he set down next to her on the coffee table, making sure to put a coaster underneath. Nancy's lips curved upward. _And he's neat -- could I be any luckier?_

Frank noticed her smile and gave her a questioning look. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that smile for?"

In response, she pulled him down to her and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "For you just being who you are."

"Mmm," Frank murmured, rubbing his lips against hers. "I'll have to be myself more often, then."

Nancy laughed and pulled away. Frank gave a small chuckle himself and stroked his thumb softly over her cheek. His eyes locked with hers, and he felt himself drowning in their blue depths. Forcing himself to break away, he reached for the afghan draped over the back of the couch, spreading it over her and tucking it in against her sides.

"I need to go out for a little while. Do you need anything else before I go?"

Nancy looked at him in surprise. "Go? I thought you were going to go over these case files with me!" She pulled back the corner of the afghan invitingly. "What better way to spend the afternoon than cuddling on the couch going over new mysteries?"

Frank chuckled. "As tempting as that sounds, I can't. When Joe came by earlier, he said that he needed my help with something this afternoon."

Nancy started to rise from the pillows. "I'll go with you. Joe could probably use my help too."

Frank grasped her shoulders and gently pushed her back. "Not a chance, Nan. You're in no shape to be going anywhere. Just get some rest, and I promise I'll be home soon."

Nancy leaned forward to argue, but Frank just gave her a steady look. Sullenly, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. Just leave."

"I'll be home soon," he repeated, as he grabbed his keys and walked out the front door. Nancy glared after him. She couldn't believe it -- that was twice in one day that he had walked away from her when she had wanted to spend time with him. And after he had been the one to declare that he wanted to stay home to take care of her, no less. "Men," she muttered to herself. "Can't live with 'em, and could definitely live without 'em." She reached for one of the case files on the coffee table, but the earlier pleasure that she had felt at seeing them was gone.

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True to his word, Frank arrived home a mere hour later. Hearing his key turn in the lock, Nancy sat up eagerly. But then she caught herself and leaned back again, plastering a scowl on her face. _No point in letting him off the hook that easily._ But the scowl on her face quickly turned to a look of surprise when she heard the barking coming from the front hallway.

"What in the…" Her words trailed off as the puppy appeared in her line of sight, dashing straight towards her. His fur was a beautiful shade of brown, and as he came closer, she saw that he had an adorable black patch of fur around his right eye. He stopped at the foot of the sofa, barking excitedly at her. Automatically, she put her hand down for him to sniff, and after inhaling her scent, the puppy nudged it playfully with his head. She laughed and reached down to pick him up, cuddling him in her arms. Hopelessly in love, the puppy began licking her face enthusiastically. She laughed again, moving her face to try to avoid the worst of the wet affection. Her eyes met Frank's, who was leaning against the entryway to the living room and smiling at the sight that she and the puppy made.

"Frank?"

"I know we had agreed on not doing presents today, but I just couldn't resist." He moved into the living room, kneeling down on the floor beside Nancy. He gently stroked the puppy's head, who then proceed to redirect his lavish affections to Frank's hand instead. "He was scheduled to be put down next week, due to overcrowding at the pound, and the fact that he's a mutt and underweight for his age. When I saw him at the pound, I just knew he was ours."

Frank looked up, and his eyes locked with Nancy's. "We wanted Valentine's Day to be about love, not extravagant presents. I figured that this little guy needed love most of all. So in the spirit of Valentine's Day, and as a present to you, I brought him home."

Nancy's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the wriggling puppy in her arms, and then up again at her husband. "You are the most wonderful man, Frank Hardy," she whispered. "And I love you so much."

Frank leaned forward to wrap his arms around her, enveloping the puppy between them. He kissed her softly, moving his lips tenderly over hers. "I love you too, Nancy. More than you'll ever know."

The puppy chose that moment to lick both of their faces in rapid succession, obviously agreeing with the sentiment. Frank chuckled and pulled away as Nancy attempted to subdue the puppy.

"Sit, puppy. Sit!"

The dog joyfully ignored her, continuing his attempts to climb up onto her shoulder. Nancy looked at Frank, who was laughing at the puppy's antics.

"What's his name, Frank?"

"You get to pick it, Nan. The pound said that he didn't have one."

She grasped the puppy around his torso and lifted him so that he was eye-level with her. For a moment, he stopped squirming, his doggie eyes locking with hers in a look that almost seemed human.

Nancy glanced around the room, searching for inspiration for a name for their dog. Her eyes lit upon the case files on the coffee table, and the magnifying glass on them that was part of their detective agency's logo. She remembered the joy that she had felt when Frank had surprised her with them, and the sheer pleasure of knowing that she was in love with someone who loved mysteries as much as she did.

"Sherlock," she decided, looking at the puppy again. He began to bark excitedly and tried to leap forward to lick her face again.

"I think he likes it," Frank observed. "But what made you pick that name, Nan?"

"Well, since he's the newest member of a family of detectives, I figured it was only fitting that he be named after one of the most famous detectives of all."

She set the puppy down on the floor so that he could acquaint himself with his new home. Grasping Frank's shoulders, she pulled him to her, and he leaned forward obligingly. She pressed her mouth close to his ear and whispered, "Don't worry, Hardy. You're still my favorite detective of all."

A slow smile spread across Frank's face, and he rose to lie next to Nancy on the sofa. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close to him. She nestled against his side and rested her head on his chest, listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat. His lips brushed the top of her hair softly, and his hand stroked soothing circles on her back.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Nan," he murmured.

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End file.
